About an hour's drive from Beijing, a futuristic city is rising on the North China Plain -- the Xiong'an New Area, Xinhua reported.
The area aims to relieve Beijing of non-essential functions related to its status as the nation's capital while also advancing the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Official data reveals a more detailed picture in Xiong'an: the developed area spans around 215 square kilometers with more than 5,300 buildings shaping the urban skyline, housing 1.41 million residents and 669 high-tech enterprises.
A staff member of the China Construction Second Engineering Bureau Ltd. works at the construction site of the Xiong'an campus of the University of Science and Technology Beijing in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, March 25, 2026. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)
An aerial drone photo taken on March 25, 2026 shows staff members of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd. working at the construction site of the headquarters of China Mineral Resources Group Ltd. in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)
An aerial drone photo taken on March 25, 2026 shows a scene at the construction site of the Xiong'an campus of Beijing Forestry University in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)
This photo taken on March 25, 2026 shows a scene at the construction site of the headquarters of China Mineral Resources Group Ltd. in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)
An aerial drone photo taken on March 25, 2026 shows staff members of the China Construction Second Engineering Bureau Ltd. working at the construction site of the Xiong'an campus of the University of Science and Technology Beijing in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)
An aerial drone photo taken on March 25, 2026 shows a scene at the construction site of the start-up zone of Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)
An aerial drone photo taken on March 25, 2026 shows a scene at the construction site of the headquarters of China Mineral Resources Group Ltd. in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)